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Welcome to Am I Infected

IMPORTANT UPDATE
Posted Tuesday, August 28, 2012

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Thank you for your understanding
and future support of the best online support service for people living with,
affected by and at risk for HIV.

2 days ago, I had sex with a transexual sex worker. I asked her about her status before sex, and she said she was never tested.

In that encounter, she gave me protected oral sex, and then anal sex with a condom (I was Top).

My concern is that instead of water based lubricant, she used Johnson & Johnson baby lotion. I did a web search on this and saw a post by a doctor (Dr Frascino) in thebody and he said that baby lotion and condoms do not mix !Because they weaken latex, increasing the likelihood for the condom to fail. (causes denaturing) was the words used.

I know I should be using water based lube but I was at her place and that was the only thing she had available. After sex, I checked the condom and it was intact with my cum in it.

My questions are;

1) When the doctor said it could fail, does it mean breakage? Or does it mean that it remains in tact but fail to protect?

2) Is it true that using lotion causes microscopic holes ? (read on the web)

3) When people say that lotion causes the condom to weaken does it mean that it may cause the condom to break from being weak? So if mine did not break, means that the condom did its job? Or does being weak mean that it becomes useless even when there is no breakage?

4) Do i need to test purely from this incident?

I go for routine annual medical checks that encompasses all STDs including HIV. But I would like some advice purely on this particular incident.

Condoms are effective at preventing HIV when used correctly . The only way your would have been at risk is if the condom were to break . I mean intact condom means no HIV exposure .

Oil and lotion are not approved as a lube because they can damage a condom and lead to the failure of the condom .

None of the activitys you mentioned were a risk for HIV however anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Check out the links at the bottom of my page for more information on condoms and lube .

1) When the doctor said it could fail, does it mean breakage? Or does it mean that it remains in tact but fail to protect?

Fail = broken. When condoms break it's obvious.

2) Is it true that using lotion causes microscopic holes ? (read on the web)

False. It's a myth put out by people who don't want others to have sex outside marriage.

3) When people say that lotion causes the condom to weaken does it mean that it may cause the condom to break from being weak? So if mine did not break, means that the condom did its job? Or does being weak mean that it becomes useless even when there is no breakage?

A weak but intact (whole) condom will still protect you - until it breaks. It can take some time for oil to weaken a latex condom enough so it breaks. Yours didn't break. You were lucky this time.

4) Do i need to test purely from this incident?

No, you do not need to test over a no risk incident.

Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together.

To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST OVER THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT, anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Okay, this has put my mind to rest. Could not stop thinking about it the past few days especially after surfing on google search results.

I was just stressed about this incident because I always knew that we had to use water based lubricant. When this incident happened, I did a google search on what was practised that night and was a little confused with what I read, plus the "myth" about microscopic holes from non water based lube didnt help too.

For future reference, it is far better to use spit (and plenty of it,reapplying when necessary) when you find yourself without water-based lube. It doesn't matter whose spit you use, as saliva is NOT infectious where hiv is concerned.

As I said previously, you were lucky this time. Next time you use oil-based lube you might not be so lucky.

Make sure you have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use them correctly and with confidence.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts